Dear Freedom Achiever,
Goal setting is a process that goes much deeper than just writing down your goals at the beginning of the year. In order to properly set action plans for your future self, you need to create time and space to reflect on what has been done so far – which can often feel like an overwhelming task.
However, when you include self-reflection in your goal-setting process there are two main benefits. Firstly, by understanding what you have already done, you get more clarity about how you can best achieve your desired outcome. Secondly, this feedback makes sure that regardless of the challenges or distractions that may come up along the way, you do not lose track of your long term goals. Instead, you are empowered to respond through resilience building techniques.
Even though at times you might feel like you are not making the kind of progress you want to be making towards your goals, all hope is not lost. One of the guiding principles of one of my favourite books, “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, is to review your goals daily. However, if you find it too overwhelming to make a daily commitment to reviewing your goals, you should at least review them quarterly to gain fresh insight into what is working and what is keeping you stuck, so you can make a decision on the next best step forward to get back on track.